Physical signs include fixed directions that guide users to common destinations. For instance, a physical sign within a corridor of an office building may provide fixed instructions that guide an employee to a nearby meeting room. A sign along the roadside may provide fixed instructions that guide a traveler to an upcoming off-ramp, and so on. While ubiquitous and generally helpful, these physical signs have shortcomings. For instance, upon encountering a sign, a person may need to study it in detail to determine whether it pertains to that person's target destination. The attention that the person directs to the physical sign may slow his or her progress through the environment, and can also pose a safety hazard. In other cases, a person may discover that no physical sign is specifically directed to his or her particular travel objectives; here, the person wastes time in studying the sign(s) without gaining any benefit therefrom.
The industry provides electronic signs having changeable messages. For instance, a municipal authority may place such an electronic sign along a roadway to alert motorists to transient conditions, such as the upcoming presence of a work crew. But these kinds of signs do not overcome the above-noted deficiencies with respect to physical signs.